Anti-DWI efforts seem to be paying off

Courts reporter Craig Kapitan and I joined forces recently on a story about Carlos Faz, a 61-year-old man recently arrested for the 12th time on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

The story detailed Faz’s criminal history and pointed out changes in Texas laws and local initiatives to curb DWIs, but more than a few sentences were lost to the chopping block, including some on high-profile crashes that may have sparked a local attitude adjustment.

Jennifer Northawy, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s South Texas affiliate, said interested parties finally are getting together to discuss ways to fight drunken driving.

“We had to hit a crescendo, unfortunately, when the public realized that enough was enough,” she said. “For the first time in a long time, we’re now having these conversations, and I think we’re getting better as a whole.”

In a six-month period between October 2010 and March 2011, drunken driving was blamed in crashes that killed two SAPD officers — rookie cop Sergio Antillon and Officer Stephanie Brown — and injured a third, Officer Michael Thornton, whose leg had to be amputated.

April is typically one of the worst for fatal DWI crashes in Bexar County. In 2008 and 2009, 10 people died in drunken-driving crashes in April; and nine more were killed in 2010.

But last year, there were only two alcohol-related fatalities in April, and neither occurred during Fiesta.

“We are so proud of what San Antonio did last year,” said Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed, adding that she hopes to achieve zero fatalities again this year.